Had new Solid State hard drive installed, now audio sounds funny

ComputerDumby · 06 Jun 2015

my laptop used to sound like a stereo (the internal original speakers), i could jam the better portion of my house with it.

now, after this new hard drive was installed (by a repair service) - it sounds, well, like a laptop.

its not very loud even with all the seemingly possible volume controls on the highest level.
but its not just an issue of volume, it sounds "distant", without bass, like at the other end of a long tunnel.

any suggestions before i have to sacrifice a day of bringing my laptop back to the repair guy?

ignatzatsonic · 06 Jun 2015

Check to see if any of your mixer control settings have been changed, not just volume levels.

I'm referring to digital processing settings that might add or omit reverb, extra bass, or maybe simulate certain venues--such as a stadium, a concert hall, a living room, a beer joint, etc.

Do you know that you are now using the same sound driver as before the SSD was installed? Maybe the repair service changed that too, accidentally or on purpose, for unknown reasons.

ComputerDumby · 06 Jun 2015

how do i check this?

ComputerDumby · 06 Jun 2015

i think my computer is proud of it's "Beats audio"

is that a driver?

ignatzatsonic · 06 Jun 2015

I don't know "Beats audio" from Adam.

It may be lovely or a total disaster.

You should be able to access all sound control settings through Control Panel and drilling into all the options in the "sound" applet. Look for other possibly sound-related applets in Control Panel--you may have one named "Beats" or "Realtek HD Audio Manager" or whatever.

Drill down into each and every setting when you open the applet.

I've got Realtek sound. Below is a picture of what's shown when I open the Realtek applet in Control Panel. Lots of sound-changing crap I don't want or need. Notice that I have "environment" and "equalizer" set to "none".

You should be able to go back to earlier drivers, IF NECESSARY, through Device Manager.

fireberd · 06 Jun 2015

Beats Audio is HP's sound enhancement to the basic sound device. It is supposed to make the audio sound better.

Dell used to use SoundBlaster MB, which was similar.

ComputerDumby · 06 Jun 2015

this is frustrating.... sounds like crap.

GokAy · 06 Jun 2015

Did you try installing beats audio software/driver from HP support site yet?

ComputerDumby · 06 Jun 2015

i didnt, BUT i did contact the repair guy and (though busy) he also suggested i try this or bring it back in next week.

if you could link me to the place where i could do that I'd be really grateful :)

.....with myluck i would download the wrong thing and make it worse (as i did earlier today: resulting in no audio at all and then having to do a long system restore just to get the crappy sound back)

fireberd · 06 Jun 2015

The first thing I see, you do not have the correct sound driver installed. You list "High Definition Audio Device" which is the generic, basic function, Windows installed sound driver.

Install the correct sound driver (e.g. Realtek. Conexent or whatever your system has).